Solar cells are electrical devices for direct generation of electrical current from sunlight by the photovoltaic (PV) effect. A plurality of solar cells can be connected in series by respective interconnect structures to form a solar cell module. A plurality of modules can be connected to form an array. Solar cells include absorber layers that absorb the sunlight that is converted into electrical current.
Due to the growing demand for clean sources of energy, the manufacture of solar cell devices has expanded dramatically in recent years and continues to expand. Various types of solar cells and solar cell substructures exist and continue to be developed. Some types of solar cell devices include a layer of transparent conductive oxide (TCO) material forming a window for light to pass through to active layers below. TCO materials generally include optically transparent and electrically conductive materials. However, there is a trade-off between transmittance and resistance properties for TCO materials, e.g., materials with high transmittance also have high resistance (i.e., low conductivity). This trade-off limits the effectiveness of TCO layers in photovoltaic devices because applications to improve the electrical conductivity of the layer often degrade the optical transmittance of the layer.